Fuel pump lifetime

Joined
Mar 5, 2022
Messages
138
I recently changed my fuel pressure sensor in my 2001 Pontiac grandprix with 118k miles. I am wondering if this is a sign that my fuel pump will go bad soon. Does anyone ever had their fuel pump go bad after their fuel pressure sensor stopped working.
 
The sensor doesn't dictate when the pump will go. It just reads pressure in the tank for emissions purposes. Since the fuel pump is easy to change in a GP with the access hole I wouldn't worry about replacing the pump. Now if it was a car that required dropping the tank - I would have replaced the whole FP assy which would have the new sensor installed.
 
Mine still works at 270k on 2 cars: 95 Corolla when I retire it and 97 Corolla yesterday. I do however change my fuel filter at around 160k though.
 
The Legend would still be on it's original fuel pump if it wasn't replaced in an attempt to find an very intermittent misfire. It was replaced in 2010 at 404,316 miles.

FWIW, I was able to find an old Heathkit engine scope on ebay that was built by a bored USN electronics tech stationed in Iceland. The cause of the misfire became evident.
cracked porcelain 001a_arrow.jpg
 
The original fuel pumps seem to last the longest. Replacement ones, I would estimate they last 5 years or so.

FWIW, I'm on my original fuel pump on my 2010 Escape at about 130K. I will not replace it for maintenance reasons, only if it goes bad, because whatever I put in there probably won't last another 10+ years.
 
I recently changed my fuel pressure sensor in my 2001 Pontiac grandprix with 118k miles. I am wondering if this is a sign that my fuel pump will go bad soon. Does anyone ever had their fuel pump go bad after their fuel pressure sensor stopped working.
I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I'm of the belief that if you live in a warm or hot climate, (or even a temperate climate in the Summer), to never allow your tank to go under 1/4 full. If you do the internal tank fuel pump will run hotter because it will not be submerged in fuel. Over time this will cause premature failures.

I worked with a guy who drove a V-10 Ford Expedition. He was always running around on a empty tank. Putting in $5 or $10 dollars in at a time. He went through several fuel pumps at around $700.00 each.

I told him what was happening, and to fill his tank to the top, and never let it get below 1/3 or less. He started doing that, and when I retired he was still running the same fuel pump several years later.

In a cold climate this won't matter as much. But in hot weather I totally believe it can and does cause premature failure of fuel pumps from running too hot.
 
dozens of different vehicles over the years, I’ve only had to replace one fuel pump on one vehicle that was an 89 cutlass Ciera.

And I agree running the tank empty all the time will shorten the fuel pump life, I never let it run low - one third of a tank and I’m filling. Now with everything going on I keep it at full near all the time,
 
Decades of driving fleet vans, E fords and Chevy's. Many well over 250k miles.
Never had a fuel pump go bad. Why? because we didn't have to pay for gas and never let them run down low.
Running out of gas in the Co. truck put a giant bullseye on your back at the minimum.
Only pumps I've had to replace were in used vehicle purchases, last was a soccer Mom '99 Yukon so ya know it was a fuel light driver before me.
 
I know all experience is local but all of the vehicles in my signature have the original pumps. And I regularly run them all down to empty nearly every tank. My old BMW had a fuel pump failure at 150K or something but then again everything eventually failed on that car.
 
I would think the fuel running thru the pump and sloshing around the tank as you drive cools the pump pretty well regardless of the level in the tank.

And please no, “you don’t want that dirt at the bottom of The tank to get picked up”. The fuel pickup for the pump is FIXED at the bottom of the tank. You always get your gas from there. If you have dirt there?..It will get picked up with a FULL tank of gas.
 
Back
Top